Tobacco rod forming machine



May 27, 1941. P. J. HERRMANN u 2,243,703

TOBACCO ROD FORMING-MACHINE Filed June 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 "IIIIall SNN @N1-o k PMLQQHANNF'- HakknAN N BY U'Q May 27, 1941. P. J.HERRMANN 2,243,703 f TOB'ACCO ROD FORMING MACHINE mwen-rok Pm.AoHAnne-,s HEMA ANN May 27,1941. P. J. HERRMANN 2,243,703

TOBACCO Ron FORMING MACHINE Filed June '7, 1938 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 XU13N vaN-rbk PNALAoHAN e5 HEKKMANM pur-ro LNQY- Patented May 27, 1941 v:$43,703 Y ATobacco non FORMING MACHINE Paul Johanneslerrmann, Dresden,

Germany, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to J. C. Muller N. V., Rotterdam,Netherlands Application June 7, 1938,l Serial No. 212,226

Germany June 12, 1937 1 claims. (ci 1x1-s4) The present inventionrelates to improvements 'in tobacco rod forming machines. The inventionrelates more particularly to the form of tobacco rod forming machineused in cigarette manufaucture in which loose tobacco is preiiminarilyformed into a rod and is then conducted around a guiding and compactingdisc after which it is fed into the wrapping device of the cigarettemachine.

An objectof the present invention is to provide means for conducting thepreformed tobacco rod onto thek compactingffand guiding disc withoutbreaking the rod.

Another object is to provide means for emciently and smoothly removing acompacted rod from the disc. f

A further object is the improvement of the guiding and compacting discused in these machines so that `the conveyor belt which carries andpreforms the tobacco rod engages the periphery of the disc tighter toimprove the compacting of thetobacco.

A still further object is an improved construction of compacting andguiding disc which permits of variation in the degree of compactnessobtainable in the machine.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin 4the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a, vertical section, taken on the line I-I of Figure 6.

Figure 2 is an enlarged Aof the device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line V--V of Figure 2,some of the parts being removed.

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the device taken in the region of theline VI-VI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged tion of the device shown in belt being removed.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line VIII-VDI of Figure 7.

detail view of a portion detail view of a por- Figure 1, the conveyorGil Figures 9 to 12 are vertical crosssections taken respectively alongthe lines" IX-IX, X-X,

XI-XI, and XII-XII 01' Figure 7.

-belt I.

Flgure\13 is a further detail of the device shown in Figure 7 on a. moreenlarged scale, and

Figure 14 is a vertical section 'taken on the line XIV-XIV of Figure 13.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 6, tobacco is fed through a suitable wellknown .apparatus into a spreader S which deposits a layer or fleece oftobacco V upon the upper run of a conveyor 'I'he belt I discharges intothe Aupper end of a guiding .chute 2 the opposite walls of which-`converge towards the lower open end thereof. `Below the chute 2 is aguide 3 the upper face -of which is formed with a U shaped channel. Aconveyor belt 4 is entrained over the pulley 5 and passes over the guide3, the belt conforming in shape to the channel of the guide. The belt Ipresents, therefore, a, moving channel in which the tobacco eece V isdeposited. This channel causes the tobacco to assume a rod shapealthough the rod is at this stage quite loose. x

As 'shown in Figure 1, the conveyor belt I takes the tobacco which ispreformed into the rod and conducts it to the guiding and compactingdisc. This disc is composed, as best seen in Figure 6, of an outer disc6 the hub 1 of which is mounted on the shaft 8 to be driven thereby. Theshaft 8 is driven by means of a worm 50 and a pinion 5I which aresupplied with power from the general operating motor for the machine.The shaft 8 is journaled in the frame I6 of the machine and a suitablebearing 52 is provided. -The guiding disc has, in addition to the disc6, an annular ring 9 which is drivingly connected to the disc 6 by meansof :the bolts Il.

The disc 8 and ring 9 are spaced apart and be- I tween them is locatedthe cam ring I 0 which is provided with enlarged apertures I2 throughwhich the bolts II pass. The connection of the disc 6 and ring 9 is suchthat the cam ring I0 may have free sliding movement therebetween. Theinner edge of the cam ring I0 is engaged by a plurality of rollers I3each of which is mounted at the outer end of an arm of the star bracketIl. The cam ring is therefore carried upon these rollers I3. The bracketI4 is xedly mounted to the frame I6 by means of bolts I1 which passthrough a slotl I8 in the central portion of the bracket. In order toim-part a, camming movement to the ring I0 the bracket I4 is mountedeccentrically with respect to the shaft 8. I'he highest point is locatedat thetop of the disc. The degree of eccentricity of the cam ring isvariable within limits since the center of the bracket I4 has the slotI8 within the limits of which this adjustment may be made. The center ofthe machines of this general bracket I4 is further provided with a largeaperture I8 through which the shaft 8 can pass freely in all positionsof adjustment of the bracket i4. It will now be seen that the guidingand compacting disc consists of the three members, the disc 8, ring 3and cam ring l0V whichrotate together due to the interconnection of thebolts l I while the cam ring I also receives a radial movement by reasonof the fact that it is supported eccentrically with respect to the axisof the disc 6. Figure 14 shows particularly the manner in which thethree parts of the disc cooperate to form a peripheral groove 20. Theedge of the disc 6 and the facing edge of the ring 8 form the oppositesides of the groove while the peripheral face of the cam ring I0 formsthe floor of the groove. For this object the periphery of the cam ringI0 has a concave shape. As the cam ring l0 slides relatively to theother parts of the disc the depth of the groove 28 will be changed.

Referring again to Figure 1, the belt 4 passes around the guiding andcompacting disc for apone-half of its circumference. The peripheralgroove 20 of the disc is aligned with the U-shaped channel formed in thetopof the guide 3. Since the tobacco is placed on the top of the belt 4the loosely formed rod of tobacco is placed into the groove 20 beltfollows onto the outer surface of the'disc. As the disc rotates in thedirection of the arrow the cam ring I0 is projected radially outwards sothat the loose tobacco rod is compacted and compressedagainst the belt4. At the uppermost part of the disc the compacted rod is removed andtaken into the cigarette making device which is generally designated atC. This device forms no part of the invention.

It has been the experience of the users of type that the loosely formedtobacco rod does not arrive at the groove proximately 20 in the disc inits best condition due to the fact thatit must be lifted out of thegroove and transferred into another groove. In Figures to 13 applicantssolution to this problem is shown. The guide 3 is provided with an endsection 28 which extends to the lowermost edge of the disc. This part 28has a channel which communicates with the channel of the guide 3. Thebottom of the groove in the member 28, however, rises towards the upperedge of the guide. Furthermore, the groove in the top of the guide 3adjacent this end converges as shown in Figure 8. In the region of thetobacco feeding chute 2 it is necessary to have the groove relativelywide of the tobacco. The groove 20 of the compacting disc is howevermuch narrower in conformity with the final dimensions required 'for thetobacco rod. For this reason. the groove in the upper part of the guide3 is tapered at 53 and is followed by a straight portion 54 of the samedimensions as the groove 20. As the belt 4 travels along the uppersurface of the guide 3 it strikes the constricting portion 53 and isurged out of the guide to some extent. When the belt passes into theportion 28 the floor of the groove begins to rise and the belt is forcedgradually into a flat condition on top of the guide in which conditionit passes onto the disc. The tobacco rod is meantime supported andguided by the guide 3l which extends over and about the belt on top ofthe guide 3. A forward extension 38 of the guide 3l projects slightlyinto the groove 20 of the disc. The guide 3| has its under surfacesloping downwardly towards the section 28 of the disc as the of theguide to hold the loose tobacco together as it is being conveyed intothe groove 20. The belt 4 overlaps the edge 28 ofthe groove in thesection 28 more and more as the floor of the groove rises. The tobaccorod follows the line indicated in dot and dash in Figure 'I and assumesa tangent to the disc. Since the rod meets the disc at a tangent thereis no bending of the rod but it gradually conforms to the circularity ofthe disc after it leaves the meeting point. The edges 28 of the channelin the section 28 serve to insure a restriction of the width of the rodon the belt by maintaining a sharp edge at opposite sides. The width ofthe tobacco rod T at this .-point 1s less than the width of the groove 2so that the tobacco can pass Without hindrance thereinto. The belt 4 issupported adjacent the-outer end of the section 28 by means of theroller 2| which presses'the belt tightly against the periphery of thedisc. This roller serves to force the loose tobacco rod tightly into thegroove 20 after which time furnishes sufficient resistance for thecompacting action.

Figures l0 to l2 illustrate the contour which is given to the peripheralsurfaces of the disc 6 and the ring 9. These surfaces are made todiverge toward the axis of the disc so that the edges 22 of the groove20 are the highest points on the periphery of the disc. This provisionhas'a twofold result, first of all, it places the greatest tension ofthe belt 4 directly upon the tobacco in the groove 20; secondly, itdispenses with the need for flanges or other means for retaining thebelt on the disc since lateral movement is effectually prevented.Figures 10 to 12 show in consecutive lsteps the manner in which the belt4 places the loose tobacco rod in the groove 20 and then conforms itselfto the peripheral edge of thedisc. From Figure l2 the advantages justdescribed will become apparent.

Now, as the disc is rotated the cam ring I0 moves radially nearer to theinner surface of the belt 4 and compresses the tobacco rod thereagainst.The degree of movement of the ring I8 is adjusted so that at the top ofthe disc the tobacco rod will be of the necessary dimensions andcompactness for immediate rolling into a cigarette.

At the top of the disc, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, there is provided abridge 32 which has a spring finger 34 engaging the peripheral surfaceof the cam ring Il) to remove the tobacco rod from the groove 20. Thebelt 4 is passed over the roller 23 and about the roller 24. The'rodwhich is picked from the groove 20 by the finger 34 slides along theupper surface of the bridge 32 and is passed into the cigarette formingdevice C where it is wrapped in the usual manner. The rollers 23 and 24are so spaced that they produce a short run of the belt 4 directly overthe surface of the bridge 32. This keeps the tobacco rod undercompression until it is delivered onto the shaper belt 33 of thewrapping machine. This prevents any possible breakage of the rod orloosening of the fibres of tobacco. The bridge and other upper structureis enclosed by a shield 36 which holds a scraper 35 in engagement withthe belt 4 to remove all tobacco particles which might be stuck to thebelt. These particles then fall onto the rod and onto the conveyor 33and are carried into the wrapping machine. As shown in Figure 5 theshield 35 has downwardly extending sides which converge towards thewrapping machine. This also assists the tautness of the belt particlesof tobacco along `struction of rod forming machine in which a constantand unbroken rod of adjustable compactness and diameter may be delivereddirectly to the wrapping machine. 'I' he loss of tobacco and the numberof imperfect cigarettes are greatly reduced and those cigarettes whichare produced are of a more uniform character as to their tobacco filler.

It is obvious that various changes and modications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention withoit` departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A device for forming tobacco rods havingl a conveyor belt, achannel-shaped guide for said belt to whose shape the belt conforms forshaping loose tobacco into rod form, and a rotatable guiding disc with aperipheral groove aligned with `said belt and guide to receive thetobacco rod, said belt being entrained in flat condition over a portionof said disc, said channel-shaped guide having its channel convergingadjacent said disc to the width of the said groove in the disc, the saidchannel further decreasing in depth towards the end of said guideadjacent the disc to strike the disc at a tangent, whereby said beltgraduallyv leaves said guide to pass in flat condition onto said discwithout interruption.

2. A compacting device comprising a disc, a ring xed around theperiphery of said disc and being axially spaced therefrom, a cam ringbetween said disc and ring xed for rotation therewith but free to slidetherebetween in a radial direction, said disc and ring forming oppositesides and the peripheral edge of said cam ring formingV the floor of aperipheral groove about the compacting device, the peripheral edges ofsaid disc and ring being beveled outwardly from the adjacent sides ofsaid disc and ring, a flexible conveyor belt for lying against theperipheral edges of said disc and ring and spanning said peripheralgroove, and a said disc and having a groove to receive said belt andcause it to assume a trough form, said guide member haying outwardlydivergent walls diverging toward the beveled peripheral edges oi' saiddisc and ring for guiding the opposite edge portions of the belt inopposite directions against said beveled lperipheral edges of said discand ring to cooperate in transforming the belt from the trough tosubstantially flat form in its passage from the trough tothe disc.

3. A device for forming tobacco rods having a conveyor belt, achannel-shaped guide for said belt, said belt conforming to the shape ofsaid guide for shaping loose tobacco into rod form, a rotatable guidingdisc with a peripheral groove aligned with said belt and guide toreceive the tobacco rod, said disc havingperipheral surfaces at oppositesides of said groove positioned to receive the side edges of the belt assaid belt emerges from the channel in said guide member, said peripheralsurfaces of the disc at opposite sides of its peripheral groove being soconstructed guide member adjacent 3 and arranged that the opposite sideedges of the emerging belt will be directed outwardly and in ,oppositedirections `,and gradually into a, substantially-.nat condition acrossthe periphery of said disc and its groove, said belt being entrainedover a portion of said disc.

4. Ardevice for forming tobacco rods having a conveyor belt, a guideunderlying a portion of said belt, said guide having a channel in itsupper surface to which said belt conforms to form loose tobacco into rodform, a compacting disc having a peripheral groove aligned with saidbelt and guide, said belt being entrained over said disc for a portionof its circumference whereby the rod formed tobacco is pressed into saidperipheral groove, a Shaper belt for receiving compacted t0-d bacco fromsaid compacting disc, said shaper belt being also aligned with saiddisc, and a bridge between said disc and said shaper belt, said bridgeincluding a scraper engaging the :door of the peripheral groove of saiddisc to remove compacted tobacco therefrom.

5. In a device for forming tobacco rods, a com-v pacting disc comprisinga driven disc, a ring of equal diameter to said disc, fastening meansbetween said ring and said disc to support said ring in axially spacedrelation to the disc and to iix said ring to rotate with the disc, a camring slidably positioned between said ring and disc, said fasteningmeans passing through said cam ring to entrain said cam ring forrotation but permit,- ting radial sliding of the cam ring with respectto said disc and ring, and a bracket with a plurality of radiating armscarrying at their ends rollers engaging the inner edge of said cam ring,said bracket being fixed to support said cam ring eccentrically withrespect to said disc and ring whereby upon rotation of the disc and ringsaid cam ring is moved radially outwards.

6. In aY tobacco rod forming machine, a conveyor belt adapted to receivethe belt to support the same and having a-longi'- tudinal groove thereinfor shaping the belt into trough form, said groove tapering in depth andwidth to initially shape the obacco into loose rod pacted tobacco rod,and means for taking oil thev compacted tobacco rod from the disc at theend of the run of the belt.

7. In a tobacco rod forming machine, a compaoting disc having aperipheral channel therein, a belt having a run engaging atly about aportion of the disc over the channel, a grooved guide supporting saidrun of the belt in trough form prior to engagement with the disc toreceive loose tobacco thereon, said groove in the guide tapering indepth toward the disc to transfer the loose tobacco from the belt intothe channel of the disc for compressing the tobacco into Acompacted rodform in the channel beneath the fiat portion of y the belt, and meansfortaking the compacted rod of tobacco from the disc. i

PAUL JOHANNES HERRMANN.

